Air scoop



Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,218

S. R. WARREN AIR SCOOP Filed April 30, 1925 QiqzAkWZQ/WK Patented Nov. 13,1928.

UNITED STATES.

STEPHEN a. WAEEEN, oEnAY'roN, onto. 1

AIR SCOOP,

Application filed April 30, 1923: Seria1 nov 635,628 f This invention relates to air scoops-for dirigibles, airships and lighter-.than-air craft in general. The object of the invention is to produce a simple, effective and reliable air a scoop by means of which the amount of air admitted to the balloonet-s of an aerostat, for

"example, is capable of being regulated and,

insured.

A further ob ect of the invention 1s to so m construct the air scoop as a whole, that head resistance will be. reduced to a minimum, the scoop forwardly pressed in relat on to its mounting upon the aerostat and the ma-- neuverability of the air scoop insured to an '!5 extent which will. prevent any tendency of the same to bind when swung laterally so as to position the mouth of the air scoop in the slipstream of either of a pairof propellers. i A further object of] the invention is toso design the hood or shutter at the intake end of the air scoop that all tendency of said hood to chatterwillbe eliminated; furthermore, the hood is at all times visible, as as also the operating means for swinging-the intake end of the air scoop laterally. g

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement herein so fully described, shown and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dirigible showing the relation of the improved air scoop thereto; Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the air scoop; I g j Figure 3 is a front elevation of the same. The air scoop comprises a fixedsection 5 and a movable and relatively rotatable section 6, the latter being inclined downwardly and forwardly an angle of approximately 45 and being connected to the fixed section 5 by an-annular ball bearing joint 7. The scoop section 6 is thus hinged to the aerostat on a horizontal longitudinal. axiswhich permits the lower and forward end of the scoop to be swung laterally. The fixed section 6 is of elbow formation 7 and fixedly secured to the aerostat. j

The air tube or scoop section 6 is formed at its intake end with a spherical head 8 having the forward portion thereof cut away on the line 9 to form a substantially hemispherical intake mouth the latter being adapted to 55 be covered and uncovered by means of a correspondingly shaped hood or shutter 10 thereby eliminatinghead resistance and also eliminating tendency of the hood, or shutter to chatter when the machine is in fiightand while said hood or shutter is in the slipstream'of the propelleroperating in advance thereof. g i

In order to provide for operating, thatis opening or closing the hood 10, the latter is mounted on a transverse horizontal drum shaft 11 journaled in the head 8 and having fast thereon within the head 8 a drum 12 around which afiexible cable 13 is wrapped one or more times. The end portlons of said flexible operating around suitable guide pulleys to anoperating shaft .or drum convenient to the naviga tor.

operating cable, as shown. j

The forward end of the tube 6 is braced by stiffening members15 and 16, the member 16 being mounted in bearings 17 and 18se cured to the' aerostat and having'a downwardly extending right angular front por--- the air scoops so that there is no tendency to bind when the air scoop is swung'laterally.

The pivot joint 20 is braced by means of a stay wire 21 which extends therefrom upwardly and laterally and is connected to fittings 22 on the bottom of the aerostat. The

cable passv upwardly A streamline casing 14 may inclose the between the fixed and movable sections of means for swinging the air scoop laterally is shown as comprising cables 23 which are fastened to the stifi'ener 15 just above the head 8 of the air scoop, said cables extending upwardly and laterally through guides or fairleaders, 24 to a suitable operating drum,

arranged conveniently for the navigator. If desired, the drum 12 and its shaft 11 may be placed ina streamline housing 25 extending transversely across within thehead 8 of the air scoop.

From the foregoing description taken in i connection with the accompanying drawings, it will now be seen. that the intake end of the scoop maybe swung laterally into po sitionbehind either of apair of propellers.

The single propeller dirigible is now little used, it being thepractice at the present time to employ two ormore propellers arranged at opposite sides of longitudinal axisofthe aerostat jand bene'ath the same. The scoop of a small ship is usually arranged centrally under the envelope and therefore under the present invention the intake end of the air scoop may be swung laterally so as to occupy a position behind either of the propellers and in the slipstream thereof.

the streamline formation thereof, and, furthermore, it is at all times Visible, The u'StI'ng' mechanism is simple embodying only a grooved drum or Wall and a Single 013- eratin cableand these will usually be enclosed with a streamline housing. Furthermore the operating mechanism eliminates any parts which Will be vapt by reason of clicking or snapping to cause a spark which might igfnite the gas in the aerostat, if infiarninable gas be the buoyanoy inediuiii.

1. m1 aii. scoop it w embodying an air tube, 'vls ble hood tor closing and openingthe intake mouth thereor, and means pe'riiu g said tube to be swung laterally to move-hie intake mouth thereof into and out of the 'pi'opellerslio stream. a p

2; An scoop to: dirigibles or the The embodying man: tube, a Visible hood f The spherical hood or'shutter will notfchattei on ac-counter or dirigibles or the like maintained parallel to the plane of rotation of the propellers.

3,111 combination With a dirigible or the lite, an air scoop embodying an air tube having a spherical intake head, a visible hood of corresponding shape 10urnaled thereon to control the size 01 the opening in the intake head, and manually operable and partly inolosable means including a cable for shil ing said hood. I

v A nnb'nation 'th adirigible or the lil e, an air scoop embodying an air tube section hinged for lateral swinging movement hating a s herical intake head, 'a Visible hoodof corresponding"shape journale'd thereon to control the size ot the openingin the intake head, stiifening members for said 'tube embodying a hinge in line with the hinge joint between the sections of the air tube, and manually operable and partly inolosable means including a cable for shifting said hood.

5. lneoinbinatie n (with a dirig'ible or the.

lli'e, an air Scoop embodying an air tube having a streamlined intake head, a visible hood J'Ournaled thereon 'to assure; the operator of its Working conditions and to control the size 01- the opening in theint'ake' head,

manually operable means for swinging said air tube laterally into and out 01": the slip stream of one or more propellers, a'ndmaiiuallyoperable and partly inelosable means including a cable for shiftingsaid hood.

In testimony whereof I inysignature.

STEPHEN R. WARREN,

com rising a hired section and a movable 

